Internal-combustion engine



Dec. 3, 1929. c. F. HEYWOOD V INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed June 11. 1927 Patented Dec. 3, 1929 i UNITED-STATES PATENT orrlcr.

CHARLES F. nnr woon} ornn'raorr, MLICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 'ro SKY SPECIALTIES con- PORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN Ihl'TERZNAL-COMBUSTION -ENGINE Application filed. J'une 11,

This invention relates to the operation of internal combustion engines, pertaining more particularly to the. starting of such engines,

ing the air intoclose proximity to the fuel {discharge of-the carburettor in order to obtain the d'esi'red amount offuel for the cha-r e.

Thisv is especially true m starting, since t e c o'nte'nt of-theintake manifold has little or .Il0 fl1l component within the content while the engine is at rest, and it becomes essential J to' bring that content to a fuel-laden condision stroke period tion. of the air .in order to ensure proper operation. As a result, it is generally the practice to throttle the air supply at this time in order to'obtain a heavy suction effect uponthe fuel, the consequence being that the volume of air introduced is not properly proportioned to the fuel component that is bein carried into the engine. The charqefor t e cylinder that is draw- 'ng thefiiel-laden air is th'us ihtrOducing a charge that is rich in' 'fuel content but lean with respect to the' air content, when compared with a normal charge. I

Under such practice, the charge is introduced during the suction stroke period of the cylinder, the charge being assumedly compressed durin the succeeding compresbut lack of the proper volume ofair within the charge introduced under these conditions of a choking throttle action, leaves the charge with an insufficient amount of air to provide combustion of all ofvthe fuel which is introduced as of obtaining a compression value of say sixty pounds pressure'within the cylinder, the

1927. Serial No. 198,255.

pressure value may be less than twenty; per

centum (20%) of such value, with a consequent loss of power when the-gaseous mixturei's fired. And in some cases, the practice sets up tllG'COIldltlOflS of a practically fiooded cylinder, due to the large excess percentagev of fuel content in the, mixture, the air of which is' insufficient to provide for the proper and complete combustion of the entire fuel content. Under these conditions, the general practice is'to turn over the engine several times, with the choke active, to prepare the intake manifold, and then, upon release of the choked condition, permitting a larger amount of' air to enter and begin to prepare the cylinders for the normal action by production of a gaseous mixture which more nearly conforms. to the proper percentages of its component elements.

These difiiculties can beovercome. by aug} menting the supply of air to the cylinder undergoing compression, doing this by 'introducing air from a different source to such cylinder duringthe compression activities;

and this can also take the form of the' use of a carburetted air, if desired, so that the charge itself can be introduced from this different source for starting purposes or can form the source of charge supply for running purposes, if necessary or desirable.

The latter characteristics is presented in the invent-ion disclosed in the U. stpatent granted tome January. 15, 1924, No. 1,481,091,-

wherein the working cylinder is subjected to the activity of a compressed air charge, and.-

riod during which the working cylinder is receiving its charge; the patentdisclosure also presents the condition that the charge for the working cylinder may also be of carhuretted fluid, if desired and such patent disclosure also contemplates theintroduction of a carburetted charge into the cylinder undergoing suction, with the charge of lesser volume than thatof either the compression or working cylinders. p 7

In its broader aspects, the present invention has some of the general characteristics of such earlier patent-the delivery of a w as? charge tothe compressiou'cylinder of lesser volume than that to the working cylinder, bebeing one of these characteristics. The'present invention, however, distinguishes in a number of respects from that of the earlier disclosure. Among these is 'the' ability to use air alone within the control apparatus,

supplying the fuel froma different source; or the'apparatns may use a carburetted charge for both working and; compression cylindersthis practice, while serviceable, would,

under ordinary ignition conditions, tend to waste fuel, since the delivery of a fuel componentasa part-of the charge which'is active in the working cylinder only after the cylinder has-been tired, would leave the fuel contentwitliout combustion activity and'th'ereore inactive excepting for the service it is performing as a. part of the compressed fluid a this enriched charge being introduced on the suction stroke, as above indicated, after .which the air component is augumented throusgh the apparatus-during the compression roke activity of the cylinder. In the latter case, the carburetter activity is being developed during the starting operation, and

hence is properly functioning when the startapparatus is made inactive after-starting. a

Among the objects of the invention, therefore, is to be found the augmenting cfthe air supply of a carlnirettcr-servcd engine subsequent to the admision of the balanced or unbalanced carburettor charge and prior to the ignition of the charge; to increase the com pression value of the charge prior to ignition by the introduction of air to the cylinder undergoing compression; and to provide a simple and etlicientarrangement of parts by which the starting and operation-of the engine will be had.

:To these and other ends, the nature of which will be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed,'said invention consists in the improved construction parts in each of the views- Figure l is a fragmentary elevation, somewhat diagrammatic in'character, of an en t q p d wi h an apparatu embodying the said invention; 4 Y

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional elevation ofthevalve mechanism' shown in Fig. l;

F ig'. 3 is transversesectional view taken on the line 3',3 of F ig. 2;

Fig. 4 isa diagrammatic view .of a modified form-of valve mechanism adapted for a si2rcylinder engine. p

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional 'view showing oneof the cheek-valveassemblies.-

For the purpose of illustration of the invention, I have shown that form of the invcn tion in which the fuel compo'nentis introduced through the carburctter ofthe engine, the device of the present invention utilizing compressed air alone in providing the activi- 3165.. And in presenting tlns I have shown it as applied to a four-cylinder engine of an ordinary type; this, however, is more or less illustrative, as the invention is adapted tube used with various types, both as to number of cylinders as well as to thear'rangement-of them,'and the illustration used is therefore not to be considered as of limiting character istic. i

In the drawing, Lindicates a four-cylinder engine, having the cylinders I, II, III and I V, numbered in their firing order, 2 indicating a part of the inlet manifold 'to which is" connected a carburettor 3. The inlet valvesare indicated at 4, while 5 indicates the ex-,

haust valves. The specific details of these and the arrangements internally of the en'- giue are not specifically illustrated as they conduits 7 to 10 are shown as leading to passagesI, II, III and IV, of a valve casingi 11, this numbering of the passages being use for convenience in indicating the association of a particular passage with a part cular cylindcr in the form illustrated, the arrangeinent being more particularly to bring out the order of firing of the cylinders. and the order of activity of the passages.

The valve casing'includes a hollow cover plate 12- to provide a chamber 13, said chamher being adapted to r'eceiverompressed air from a tank 15, the latterbeing connected with chamber 13' by a valve-controlled pipe 14,-

the valve being indicated at 1 6 and which may be operated by a rod 17.

-Within chamber 13, and disposed over the inlet ends of passages I", II, HI and IV, of the valve casing, is .a rotary valve 18,

adapted to be rotated by a-shaft20, driven that the valve, in rotating, will ,bring the port opposite the entrance to ,the passages I, etc., at proper times, thus permitting the compressed air from the chamber 13 to'enter the conduits .and become active within the cylinders.

In theory, the strokes of the 'Otto cycle rep- 7 resent the periods of activity of the four different activities comprised in the cycle, thus making each of the periods equal to 180 of the movement of the crank-shaft. -In practice, however, and especially with engines of the high-speed type, the timing is arranged to present considerable variation from th. theoretical strokes. For instance, the firing of the charge takes place in advance of the positionwhere the piston is at the end of its outward stroke, thus permitting the propagation of the charge explosion to take place and become complete about the time when the piston has just passed the dead center position; the advance is variable accordingto the speed, and maybe as much as 30 of the crank shaft travel. Sincethe latter 'por tion of the inward workingor power stroke. is

of little value in the development of power, the timing of the exhaust Valve is generally arranged to be op'ned in advance of the completion of this stroke; the advance maybe so much as so that the power stroke would be approximately 130 of the crank shaft travel of this inward stroke. The exhaust stroke thus is approximately 230 of .the crank shat't travel, completing the first rotation of the crank. The suction stroke which follows, and during which the charge of fuel is admitted, generally continues past the end of the stroke, reaching approximately 40 beyondthis point, so that the intake is approximately 220 of the travel of the crank shaft, the compression stroke t an being active for approximate] 140 of the travel of the crank shaft; during this latter period thecharge is ignited as above pointed out.

The starting system herein disclosed 1s 11-.

lustrated to operate under the approximate conditions thus referred to. The compressed fluid for the power stroke admitted when passing or shortly after the crank has passed the dead centerthis will be explained hereinafter-and the admission is closed when the crank shafthas travelled approximately 115 of the power stroke; this ending in advance of the opening of the exhaust valve'is preferred, since it tends to economize 1n the use o f the compressed fluid, expanslon being permitted and thus reducing the amount of fluid which is discharged during the exhaust. It is to be understood, of course, that the endin of the fluid admission ma be delayed until the exhaust valve opens, ut this increases the amount of fluid admitted, and hence tends to wastage. The admission of fluid to the compression cylinder begins approximately 80 in advance of the dead center position of the crank, thus beginning its ad mission at an intermediate point of the travel of the piston during the compression stroke.

In illustrating these distances in Figs.2 and 4, the distances are indicated as onehalf of these values, since the valve 18 is travelling at one-half the engine speed, one

revolution of the valve disk representing the two revolutions of the crank-shaft in complet ing the cycle. In these views, the entrances to passages I, II", etc., are indicated as of 20 angular length and preferably circular,the body of the port being indicated as being of a Width corresponding tothe diameter of such circle; the advance end or toe 19, how,- ever, is considerably reduced in width, since it is desired that the volume of airadmitted to the compression cylinder per unit of time be materiallyless than that admitted to the working cylinder during ,such' unit of time, thus producing a material preponderance in .volume of admitted air in favor' of the. working cylinder in a particular unit of time during which delivery is being made to' both compression and working cylinders concurrently; hence there is no opportunity of balancing of pressures between the two cylinders'acondition which would tend to prevent starting.

'As heretofore pointed out, the present invention has,-as one of its distinctions from the disclosure of the earlier patent referred to, but a singleport in the valve disk in place of the independent ports shown in the earlier disclosure. This change has the eflect of eliminating the portion of the valve which divided the two parts of the earlier structure, and which served to provide a physical break in the delivery of fluid during the period when the division portion was in position over a "passage entrance. However, this result isobtained automatically in the present invention, due to thepresence of check-valves 6, andLthe fact that the pressure developed in the cylinder which hasbeen fired becomes temporarily greater than the pressure of the compressed air; this cylinder value, the check-valve 6 of thatcylinder will close to prevent admission of air, and will remain closed until the pressure of the compressed air again becomes dominant, this pressure reaches to approximately five hundred or more pounds per square'inch,wlulc occurring shortly after the crank has passed the dead center position. The port 19 is so arranged that the body of the port is open to the entrance to the passage leading to the cylinder when the check-valve opens, so that the greater volume is then admitted to the cylinder. -An advantage of this arrangement is found in the fact that the time of ending of the air admission to the cylinder undergo ng the compression activity is made wholly dependent on the development of the cylin pressure, as is the beginning of admission of air to the cylinder in its working stroke; as long as the cylinderpressure is dominant, air will not be admitted. The period of temporary cessation of air delivery may vary as to len th, but the conditions are such that delivery of air in proper amounts will be present the instant the check-valve will permit.

The arrangement of Fig. 2 is that for a four-cylinder engine, with the passage entrances 90 apart. In Fig. 4, the arrangement is indicated as for service with a sixcylinder engine, the entrances being 60 apart; however, the valve is shown as having the port 19 as similar in both cases, it being readily understood that with each cylinder the cycle development is the same regard less of the number of cylinders present, and the activity of port 19 is based on the cylinder cycle. With the system installed in connection with an eight-cylinder or a twelvecylinder engine, the valve can be the same as with those illustrated, the twelve-cylinder "service preferably utilizing only six of the them from those indicated, the present disclosure of dimensions being more or less illustrative and designed to show one of the dimension characteristics which can be employed.

In Figure 2 the port 19 is shown as fully uncovering the entrance to passage I, this position indicating that the crank has advanced a distance of 40 past the dead center (20 in the travel of the disk-the rear edge of the passage entrance I being considered as the dead center position). At this instant, the leading end of the nose 19 of the port 15 shown as 40 (80 of crank-shaft travel) advanced toward the entrance of passage II which leads to the cylinder undergoing coinprcssion. A further advance of the valve a distance of 30 (60 of crank-shaft travel) brings the leading end of the nose 19 to passage II, at which time the body of the port is still admitting air to passage I, al

though the deliyery to the latter passage ends shortly afterward (approximately 7 of the valve travel). The cylinder of passage lowed by the temporary cessation of delivery ing stroke. In Figure 4 the leading end of the nose 19 is shown as in aposition' about to establish communication wtihpass age 11, while passage I has .just been fully opened to the body ot the port; the position of the body of the port is thus shown as the'same with respect to passages I and I" in Figs. 2 and 4, the diflerence between the two disclosures being the position of the leading end of the nose 19' of the port relative to the passages 11 and II", respectively. This difference, howand the further air delivery during the workever, does not affect the operation which remains the same in both cases, due to the fact that the position of the piston of the cylinder undercompression (II and II") is the same in both cases; in Fig. 2, the position of passage II represents the position of the piston of the cylinder servedby this passage at the diametrically opposite point (the beginning of the compression stroke) from that of the beginning of the power strokethe crank then turning an angular distance-9f 60 (30 of the travel of valve 18) when the leading end of the nose becomes active by the travel of the valve during this angular distance; in Fig. 4, the different setting of the cranks has the effect of placing the position of the crank of the cylinder served by passage II this same distance of 60 advanced beyond the diametrically opposite (the beginning of the compression stroke) point from the position of the crank of the cylinder which is beginning its power stroke, and hence has reached the same position of the piston as is reached by the piston of the cylinder served by passage II n Fig. 2.

In other words, the length of the port of valve 18 depends on the travel of an'i'ndimately 60 of the angular distance of its compression stroke, and continues active with such entrance until the piston approaches the position of beginning the exhaust of the cylinder during the latter part of the power stroke? The position of the entrances I IF, I", II", etc., relates to the time when this activity of the port begins with a cylinder. The nose of the port thus delivers to the cylinder during the compression stroke, while the body of the port delivers to the cylinder during the power stroke,

this action taking place with the cylinders successively in the order of their firing.

It will be readily understood that I have referred to compressed air as the fluid. used in the operation; however, as heretofore pointed out, the compressed fluid may be a carburetted air, in which case the fluid delivered .to the cylinder that is undergoing compression would itself become a combustible charge therein, and hence capable of being fired irrespective of carburetter action, so that the carburetter could remain inactive;

in fact, it would be possible to run the .engine indefinitely without carburetter activ-' readily understood that the air supply to the be throttled or choked,

carburetter ma ly of air for the charge is since the supp not directly dependent upon that received through the carburetter, since a part, at least, of the air component of the charge is delivered into the cylinder throughnose 19. As a result, the greater richness of the fuel introduced through a choked" throttle does not become a disadvantage, since suflicient air for combustion will be provided. Should the charge develop a greater pressure condition within the cylinder, the

effect would be made manifest on check valve 6, and thus delay its opening within the power stroke; no disadvantage would result from the latter since the piston is then being driven by a pressure at least equal to that of the compresed air. When, however, the cylinder pressure becomes reduced in value to an amount as to become subordinate to that of the com'pressed air, check-valve 6 opens and brings the compresesd-air into activity to continue the drive of the power stroke until the port passes out of operative relation to the entrance of the passage leading to the cylinder being served, this latter time being the same at all times since .the port .is 'of fixed dimensions. Should the charge be lean, and hence insuflicient 'to develop when fired a cylinder pressure suflicient to close check-valve 6, the greater volume of air which would then be introduced into the working cylinder will cause the engine to carry the piston of the cylinder which is to become active as'the next working cylinder, past its dead center, the greater volume of air which then becomes active in the cylinder carrying the engine onward.

It will be understood, of course, that, ifdesired, the fuel content of'the intake manifold maybe augmented for starting by a direct priming action. And this type of providing for the fuel content of the charge may be used even to theextent of entirely elimi nating ca iubretter activity during the starting operation, the fuel content being-provided through the primed intake manifold, while the air content of the charge is provided by the compressed fluid entering through nose 19*. And it will be more or less obvious that, if desired, a cylinder or cylinders may be pruned. preliminary tostartin'g, whether the content'of the intake manifold be of carburetter or priming source or both, or be inactive to deliver-fuel during the period of starting. made possible through the fact that the mechanism is so formed and, operated that there is always a delivery of thecompressed fluid to the cylinder next in firing order sometime during the period subsequent/to the suction stroke of the cylinder and prior to the firing period of the cylinder, thus supplying an air content thereto such 'as will enable the production of a compressed charge of a'vjalue such that combustion of fuel content will be had when ignition is provided, with the resultant pressure. active in developing .running of the engine.

It will be understood, of course, that the specific dimensions and configuration of the 7 port 19, 19, are more or less illustrative, being those of a preferred form and dependent more These methods areor lesson engine characteristics of a'general type. The dimensions and configuration may be varied to meet different conditions. For instance, if it be desired that the fluid for the cylinder undergoing compression be intro duced later in'the period of the compression stroke, the nose 19 will be made shorter, while the amount to be admitted may be retained by increasing the-width ofthe nose.

Similarly, the arc length of the body 19 of the port may be shortened or lengthened according to the needs of a particular type of engine, as Where the-timing of the exhaust valve opening is changed from tliatindicated above, or the delivery of. air on the power stroke may extend closer to the time of exhaust, if desired. The mechanism is suitable for use with all types of engines and it may be necessary to form the port to meet the characteristics of an individual type; and such changes are contemplated within the general disclosure made herein.

The mechanism is obviously usable with engines having a greater number of cylinders than the two types referred to herein (the four and six cylinder types). In the eight or nine cylinder types, the mechanism would preferably be arranged to deliver to each of the cylinders. This could also be done with the twelve-cylinder type, if desired, but

this type will be efiectively operated by con nection with but six of the twelve cylinders, with the mechanism operating as in the sixcylinder type of the disclosure. These are to be considered as detail characteristics more or less individual to special types of engines, and would be embodied within the general invention herein disclosed.

iVhile I have herein shown and described one or more Ways in which the invention may be embodied, it will be readily understood that changes and modifications therein may 'be found desirable or essential to meet the various exigencies of use, and I desire it to be understood that I reserve the right to make any and all such changes and modifications therein as may be found essential or desirable, in so far as the same may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the'accompanying claims when broadly construed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1. In means for starting multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, wherein compressed fluid is admitted to and is active in developing piston movement in the working cylinder of the cycle, a source of fluid supply, and connections between such source and individual cylinders of the engine, said connections including valve mechanism for controlling the delivery and distribution of the fluid to the respective cylinders, and conduits leading from the valve mechanism to the cylinders individually with the mechanism having uniformly-spaced entrances to such conduits, each conduit having a check-valve adapted to be closed by cylinder pressure, said mechanism including a rotatable member operatively connected to move in synchronism with the engine crank shaft, said member having a port adapted to be made-active with the conduit entrances successively, said port having dimensions and a configuration such that fluid will be delivered to the working cylinder to provide power .therein and that fluid will also be delivered to the cylinder next in firing order, the volume of fluid delivered to the working cylinder beingmaterially greater than that delivered to the cyl inder next in firing order. 7

' 2. Means as in claim 1 characterized in that the pressure value of the compressed fluid is greater than the normal compression value of the cylinder next in firing order and of less value than the explosion pressure of such cylinder, whereby delivery of fluid to the cylinder-undergoing compression will be temporarily stopped by check-valve activity when the charge of such cylinder is ignited and will be resumed as the pressure developed by explosion in such cylinder becomes less than the fluid pressure value active within the period of the working stroke of the cylinder.

3. Means as in claim 1 characterized in that the member port is elongated in the direction of travel of .themember, with the advance end of the port of less dimensions than the body of the port.

4. Means as in claim 1 characterized in that the member port is elongated in the direction of travel of the member, with the advance end of the port of less dimensions than the body of the port, the member movements being being timed in such manner'that the firing of the cylinderundergoing compression takes place in advance of the arrival of the body of the port at the entrance to the cylinder conduit, whereby the advance end of the port will deliver fluid to the cylinder to be fired and the body of the port will deliver fluid to the cylinder after such firing has taken place.-

5. Means as in claim 1 characterized in that the member port is elongated in the direction of travel of the member, the member movements being timed in such manner that the port will be active with the entrance to cylinder conduit to deliver fluid thereto bot-h prior and subsequent to the firing of the charge of that cylinder, delivery of fluid to such cylinder through such entrance being rendered inactive temporarily within the cylinder by the preponderance of pressure value within the cylinder of the explosion pressure during the firing periodby checkvalve activity.

6. Means as in claim 1 characterized in that the member port is elongated in the direction ponderance of pressure within the cylinder as a result of the firing activity.

7. Means as in claim 1 characterized in tihai the member port is elongated in the direetiioi of travel of the member, with the pont/leflgth such that delivery of fluid to theiwbiking cylinder and to the cylinder nentlin firing order will be concurrent. 1

8. Means as in claim 1 characterized in that the member port is elongated in the direction of travel of the member, with the port length such that delivery of fluid to the working cylinder and to the cylinder next in firing order will be concurrent, the length of time of delivery within the working cylinder being greaten' than that within the cylinder next in firing order.

9. In means for starting multi-cylinder mternal combustion engines, wherein the fuel the fluid to the respective cylinders, and con content of the charge to be fired is delivered to the cylinder through intake manifold operation during the suction stroke, and wherein compressed fluid is'admitted to and is active within the working cylinder to develop piston movement in such cylinder during starting activity, a source of compressed fluid supply, and connections between such supply source and individual cylinders of the engine, said connections including valve mechanism for controlling the delivery and distribution of the fluid to the respective cylinders, and conduits leadin from the valve mechanism to the cylinders individually With the mech anism having uniformly spaced entrances to such conduits, each conduit having a-checkvalve adapted to be closed by cylinder pres sure produced by firingof the charge, said mechanism including" a rotatablejiember operativelyconnectedto move in synchronism with the engine crank shaft, said member having a port adapted to be made active with the conduit entrances successively, said port having dimensions and a configurationsuch that fluid will be delivered to the working cylinder to providepower therein and that fluid will also be delivered to the cylinder next in firing order to supply air to the content of such cylinder subsequent to the suction stroke and prior to the'firing period of the charge therein, the volume of fluid delivered to the working cylinder being materially greater than that delivered tothe cylinder next in firing order.

'10. Means as claim 9 characterizedin that the pressure value of the compressed fluid is greater than the normal compression value of'the cylinder and of less value than the pressure of the cylinderdeveloped by the firing of the charge, whereby check-valve activitywill be provided during the period of preponderant cylinder pressure to temporarily stop compressed fluid delivery to the cylinder, the ending of the delivery of such compressed fluid to the cylinder on its compression stroke and the beginning of the succeeding delivery to the cylinder during its working stroke being dependent upon the length oft-ime of the check-valve activity.

11. Inineans for starting multi-cylinder internal combustion engines, wherein the carburetted fluid for running purposes is supplied to the cylinder during the suction stroke of theengine through the activity-of a carburetter delivering the fuel content of the charge-to the intake manifold, and wherein compressed fluid isadmitted to and is active within the working cylinder to develop piston movement in such-cylinder during starting activity, a source of compressed fluid supply,

and connections between such supply source and individual cylinders of the engine, said connection including valve mechanism for controlling the delivery and distribution of duits leading from the valve mechanism to .the cylinders individually with the mechanism having uniformly-spaced entrances to such conduits, each conduit having a check vai ve adapted to be closed by cylinder pressure produced by firing of the charge, said mechanism including a rotatable member operatively connected to move in synchronism with the engine crank shaft, said member having a port adapted to be made active with the conduit entrances successively, said port having dimensions and a configuration such that fluid will be delivered to the working cylinder to provide power therein and that fluid will also be delivered to the cylinder next in firing order to complete the air content of the-charge of such latter cylinder prior to the firing period of thecharge therein, thevolume of fluid delivered to the working cylinder being materially greater than that delivered to the cylinder next in firing order.

' In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHARLES F. HEYWOOD. 

